Bubbe and Zayde Turning On Obama?

Health-care tsuris in Florida

Barack Obama won Florida last November with help from Jewish retirees in places like Sunrise Lakes, where three out of four people voted for him over John McCain. People, for example, like 73-year-old Ronald Clifford, who insisted that whatever Obama does is “the emes.” “You know what that is?” Clifford asked New York Times reporter Kevin Sack for an article in today’s paper. “That’s Yiddish for the truth.” Well, here’s a sadder truth: polls show support for the president slipping in the Sunshine State, and it appears that even some Sunrise Lakes residents are among those turning against the president over health-care reform: “I voted for President Obama, and I’m not ashamed to say that I’m sorry now because I don’t trust what he’s saying,” 71-year-old Elaine Carl told the Times.

Now, it seems to us that if Obama wants to win over the dubious bubbes and zaydes who don’t share Clifford’s view, he should think about calling in his secret weapon: their grandchildren. Last year, a small army of them, responding to a video request from comedienne Sarah Silverman, schlepped on down to Florida (or at least made nice phone calls) on behalf of Obama’s presidential campaign last year. Maybe Silverman is interested in an encore performance?

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